Love stories for snuggle season

This holiday season I wanted to create a list composed exclusively of recent romantic desert island keepers — stressrelieving escapes at the intersection of creative passion and mass appeal. I curated this selection by chatting with some of the most fervent aficionados and advocates in the genre, leveraging their recommendations to broaden my horizons throughout the year. The result is a roundup of books I raved about to friends when no one else was listening, and some of the best examples of what romance readers are loving most about the genre now. They reflect some of the diversity of the genre, and a range of different character backgrounds, moods, and desires, from comforting sweetness to taboo.

THE ART OF SCANDAL by Regina Black

A sexy, soapy alternative to distressingly true life political drama, this is “Real Housewives of the Potomac” meets “Scandal,” and more than one romance author’s favorite romance of the year. In this angsty, DC-based scenario, Rachel Abbott, a politician’s wife who’s sick of the life she’s been living, finds out that her wealthy, formerly good-guy husband Matt has been flagrantly cheating. Feeling sidelined and depressed but financially trapped with a daughter in college to think of, Rachel stays put, agreeing to continue acting the perfect public partner to her ambitious hubby while buying time and trying to find her place in the world. The problem is that she can’t help falling for the promising and empathetic Nathan, a young, local artist with his own secrets and baggage. The story and characters are multi-layered and the writing is juicy.

WE COULD BE SO GOOD by Cat Sebastian

For fans of old New York stories and anyone who’s ever crushed on their bff. Sebastian is the master of slow-burning sizzle with a realistic touch. In this sweet and sexy mid-20th century historical, Andy Fleming is the privileged scion of the New York newspaper company that employs hard-working, working-class Nick. Unlike the viperous offspring in HBO’s media empire drama “Succession,” Andy has no competition and he’s ambivalent at best about being his father’s designated heir. But he agrees to spend a year learning the newsroom ropes nonetheless. Smart and rough around the edges, Nick becomes Andy’s work guide, best friend, and roommate. The attraction that sparks from this pair is the happiest bonus.

THE TRUE LOVE EXPERIMENT by Christina Lauren

Burned out on “The Bachelorette”? Can’t get enough of Bravo? This story of co-workers fighting their attraction and falling in love behind the scenes of a kinder, gentler reality TV dating show is for you. Felicity Chen (a.k.a. “Fizzy”), a romance novelist burned out on both writing and dating, gets an opportunity she can’t refuse to be the next singleton looking for love on her own television show, with creative control over the production. But instead of connecting with the cadre of leading men she helped to pick using insights from her friend’s scientific dating algorithm, Fizzy’s heart beats only for her off-limits, reality TV hating documentary filmmaker producer. This is a classic contemporary office romance in a new setting.

TWISTED LIES by Ana Huang

With all the psychological drama, heat, and moral conflict that dark romance is known for, the popular Twisted series booted me out of my comfort zone. The final and maybe best installment is a kind of mashup of “You” and “McMafia” in which a Gen Z social influencer under pressure makes a deal with the devil and finds a happy ending. A business opportunity and a threat from the past thrusts Stella Alonso into the unlikeliest harbor, with charming and dangerous Christian Harper, Mr. “suits and whiskey.” An “American Psycho”-style control freak, Christian gets hostile when others touch what’s his, including sweet Stella. Huang treads the line between romantic obsession and toxicity like a boss.

SOMETHING WILD & WONDERFUL by Anita Kelly

This tender romance about finding love on the Pacific Crest Trail is transportive, high-altitude inspiration. Hiking the 2,500-mile-long PCT is an emotionally and physically taxing commitment that people tackle for a host of reasons. Alexei Lebedev and Ben Caravalho have divergent goals when their paths converge. Exuberant, out-and-proud Ben needs a break after a string of bad relationships; for Alexei, brokenhearted after coming out as gay to his conservative parents, it’s a solitary transformational journey, “a chance to say goodbye to his old life.” Following a few chance run-ins, they become hiking partners, a situation that grows complicated with their attraction. Their friendship grows exquisitely deeper and more romantic the further they plunge in the wild and wonderful trek.